Tech Asia: Google's China shift and the battle over AI models

The inside story on the Asia tech trends that matter, from Nikkei Asia and the Financial Times

25. August 2026 um 18:00 Uhr / Lauly Li, Nikkei Asia

The TSMC logo is displayed at the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company branch and Innovation Museum, highlighting the company branding and signage inside and outside the site in Hsinchu, Taiwan, January 27, 2026. Bild: Jimmy Beunardeau / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images

Hi everyone! This is Lauly, your #techAsia host this week, sending warm greetings from humid and rainy Taipei.

I was chatting with an executive working for an Apple supplier last night about the dynamics in his industry. He told me he recognized Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s importance to the global tech industry as early as the 2000s and that he even publicly argued with a well-known media figure who didn't appreciate the contract chipmaker's value.